For the first time ever, we are exploring a world made not of rock or ice, but of metal.

Mission to a
Metal World

Deep within the terrestrial planets, including Earth, scientists infer the presence of metallic cores, but these lie unreachably far below the planets’ rocky mantles and crusts. The asteroid Psyche offers a unique window into these building blocks of planet formation and the opportunity to investigate a previously unexplored type of world.

Where Are We Now?

A space mission typically has six phases, A-F. The Psyche Mission is currently in “Phase C,” which lasts until January 2021. In this phase, the mission is focused on final design and subsystem fabrication, assembly, and testing.